idun

And that is a timely reminder for me gardian....... I too take an immuno suppressant medication..... [Www]

Now would we ever know where 'snipers' are? What a thought, stealthy shooters and can shoot from what, at least a couple of kms away, and probably further. And if one goes rogue, no one is actually 'safe'? are they![:D] And that is one thing we didn't consider last night during our natter about other things that were risky. Life is just full of risks. I always err on being practical about what ever situation I am in, but viruses, well, a random sneezer etc etc and we can be cautious as we like, we still have to breath in, and so far I haven't seen anyone in a mask here.

Had an interesting conversation last night with a friend about this very thing. We both had lots of suggestions. And the main ones were that at the moment we stand more chance of dying of flue, or being in a major traffic accident and killed than catching this. And now I am thinking about Dirty Harry's 'do you feel lucky' and I suppose that is life. I sometimes do the lottery, and I suppose that in spite of the odds being well and truly stacked against me, I sort of hope that it is my turn. Trouble is that 'turns' can be bad 'uns as well as good 'uns..... so who knows, certainly not going to worry about it.

Can't our lovely Hoddy sort her out with a new password???

I don't get any of this either.

Brave, hmmm, I'll have to look up the definition of that. Very little french, in fact it literally took me months to learn how to say the name of the village where we had bought the land....... and pregnant and getting a house built 25 miles from our rented appartment. Yes, there are probably some rather less flattering adjectives than 'brave', naive would certainly be one of them. Good artisans are always hard to get hold of, lousy ones are rather more easily available, a lesson, amongst many that we learned to our dismay...... and cost.

I wish I could afford quality wood double glazing again. We had it in the french house we had built and it was good, 25 years there and regularly varished with good varnish and stood up to extreme cold and extreme heat really well. We now have UPVC and I do not like it at all.

I gave up with the 'rules' when the soccer world cup was held in France and they got sky for the english players at a hotel in La Baule.... because rules is rules...... and if they can have english tv, then the rest of us should not be treat as unworthy?

Who has been making bugnes today, or are going somewhere they are being provided, for say gouter, or with a drink later?? I used to make them, either for us or to take somewhere, but in the end, a good friend had a better recipe than me and if she was taking them, lots of them, I wouldn't bother. I have her recipe, but it makes a lot and I don't know where they would get eaten here, unless I try them on guests at another time of year, which is a possibility. I have tried most other things on guests, but not these.

It is about time that the french had a team that was so good. They have literally been putting millions and millions into their national team over the last few years. Initially very proudly showing off everything that was being done. So at last the french have a great team......... BUT..... did it really take all that investment? I know darn well how local clubs bring young 'uns on, the great unsung heros of french sport, thousands upon thousands of dedicated benevole!

I knew people who worked on the construction of the A380. Boy, it did not last long, did it. Especially as I would have thought that long haul without stops is a good idea.

When we were buying the house we currently live in, one of the things on the list was to be near bus stops with good services to the shops and other towns. And that is a thing one can do in towns, if one believes that it is a priority and trying to avoid using the car all the time. Now I have 'working' legs, I can walk into town too, but heyho, I have a bus pass now and so I often walk in and bus home with my shopping. But in our old village, well, even though we were lucky and had a fairly regular bus service, most of our friends who also lived in villages did not. Sometimes once a week at awful hours. People chose to live where they live and things that would be my priority appear to be things that others do not. The other thing is, that I would have an age related driving test for us older folk, don't care what the stats say about safe, Mr McGoo never got into accidents, you don't have to be in an accident to not create chaos on the roads, and most would pass a simple test, but there are those who should no longer be driving and they need to be off the roads.

I managed about 10 minutes and no time to watch more. I think that the baby boomers, in the UK at least, are terrible, and if the young hate the baby boomers, well, IMO deserved. If I get time, I will watch more. I may not agree with some of it, but I have felt like this for donkey's years.

I think that this would depend on the nature of the petit bled perdu one lives in. Our friends had lived there for quite a long time before having their family, so as well as her teaching at the nearest college, knew the locals and area well. They would never have stayed there. And were delighted with where they moved to and the schools. You have me thinking about thefts etc, frankly when my boys were in college  I had not heard of that happening. However, there are quarters in some of the cites where I would imagine that it could. And the only poor kids I knew of who had designer things were because their mothers took great pride in having their sons and only the sons, dressed in such things. My friend who worked for the Secour Populaire was always appalled, especially as this was at the expense of food on the table.

mint, did you ever watch Fried Green Tomatoes.......... I remember laughing and laughing when one woman was dressed in a dress of cling film which her friends had wrapped her in. Trouble would be that it probably could only be used once, so very very bad, but amused Idun years ago!

What a thing to consider ALBF, well.......... I agree with  mint, quick lime or pigs doing the deed would seem a good way to dispose of a body. Me, I read and watch tooooo many detective stories[:-))]

Well, when I cook the small ones, they bloom, and end up 'big' and light and fluffy. I really do suggest ignoring cooking times, and simmer until they are souffled.

What do we do, I do not know. I know I use a lot less plastic than I ever have. One thing that I do is I put the rolls of cling film in a specially bought dispenser with an integrated cutter and only cut off what I need. I wrap lettuces that I have cut into with foil. And to cut it  I have to say, I use a plastic knife as I was told that doing these things stopped 'browning' and it seems to work very well. I put the foil wrapped lettuce in the fridge. So plastic knife and foil and my lettuce lasts a lot longer. In winter I will buy salads and not necessarily use it as much as in summer. My biggest problem is freezing things, cannot put things like bread, just in the freezer or in boxes, seem to get freezer burn too quickly. I do use reusable plastic boxes and cling film and some plastic bags. Sometimes I use dishes like pyrex and some have their own lids, handy for the freezer. Maybe we should do as the olde days. Shop daily. And with excess crops, bottle, ie boiling veggies in kilner jars, or make jams or chutneys etc. And having tinned foods. How different life was during my childhood, the larder had a few tins in it, the rest came in fresh all the time and was eaten.

I think that the mash dish you may have been thinking of are Pomme Dauphine, which is mash and choux pastry and then fried in balls. I like them, but what a waff on they are.

Yes, pu and vu, apparently it is ok to say in english already you, instead of already seen, now that drives me nutty. Pursing the lips almost as if going to  'kiss' and keeping the sound right at the end of the pursed lips, helps with these sounds, well that is what I find.[:D]

Ah dear! I can only suppose that they were not done right then. The sauce I make is beautifully onctueux, the quenelles are light and fluffy served with either parmesan or comte grated and gently melting on top. Emmantael would do though, IF the shopping hadn't gone quite to plan[:-))]

We moved from city to village because it would be quieter / calmer and more chance of good day- time sleeping due to shift patterns. Now, I could never live in a village or in the country, again unless I was filthy rich and had staff and a helicopter etc. Interesting you saying that about people leaving towns /cities for their kids Wooly. Friends of mine moved to a big town, because they lived nulle part in a tiny hamlet and then they had kids and did not want their kids brought up in the village schools in their area, amongst the paysannes whose life expectations were restricted. And the local college also had next to no expectations for their pupils either. She knew this as she had worked at the nearest local college. Population density simply shows how property prices will be in France. Next to no one there, young ones leaving for work = cheap property, and bought by les etrangers without a thought of all these things, I would imagine. And when we moved to France, these deserted places were discussed on french tv quite regularly in very dismissive tones. So 25 years later, when people we knew were so excited about moving to the Ariege from the UK and how cheap the housing was and how much land, my thought, was, who on earth would want to live there. See the french things rubbing off on me.

The crozet boxes usually indicated that they are from the Savoy region, and I think they were made locally, at least they used to be. I suppose a bit like a firmer pasta especially the ones au sarrasin. I really do like them, not all the time, but for ringing in the changes, very nice. And quenelles, well, all too often, the recipes seemed to be like a choux pastry mix and not nice when simmered. I HATE wasting food and that is exactly what 'rubbish' recipes do, end up being 'waste'. Maybe some  people like stodgy lumps of eggy bechamel, like some people like the bottom of a yorkshire pudding to be a thick stodgy blob, that feels undercooked, but I would never serve the likes of that to anyone.EDIT Must, add if folk like that sort of stuff they can serve it chez eux and never to me[Www]

As Loiseau brought up crozets, she reminded me of something we used to really enjoy in France and that was quenelles. I liked them all, but was particularly partial to the ones with fishy things in them. I ignored the cooking instructions and would put them in simmering italian tomato sauce and keep on simmering until they souffled. The instructions cooked them, but that extra time was worth it. Prinkled cheese over them on the plate. I have tried to make them at home, but have yet to find a good recipe. I have tried lots of different recipes, and one day will find one that just fits the bill.

I only serve them one way, because me and my sons love them, but husband does not, so not worth trying different recipes. Boil the crozet in salted water until tender. Drain and put in a gratin dish, cover in fresh cream and I stir a little grated comte or emmantael, and cover the top in the same grated cheese and put in a medium oven until bubbling and browned/golden[:)]. miam, miam. I know that there are other recipes and I am sure I would like them too, but this is what I do as I have them so rarely. The do the usual ones, and also mushroom ones, which I love and gratin in the same way. I serve with something like chops.